College volleyball: Otters attacking season with different mindset

SEASIDE – The reaction following a recent practice signaled a new direction was being taken, that the positive vibes included teaching moments from within the cast on the volleyball court.

Eight different players for Cal State Monterey Bay stood up and spoke out about a solid week of volleyball practice, providing insight and direction going forward.

“We are thinking collectively,” CSUMB coach Courtney Materazzi said. “Our block talk has been excellent. We respect our training. We have the ability to reflect and communicate.”

The inevitable task of taking over the program following the pandemic has created a few bumps in the Otters’ path for Materazzi in back-to-back sub .500 seasons.

Mikayla Nolte is back as a disruptive force in the middle for CSUMB. (Photo by Katie Tozier, CSUMB)

Yet, the attitude of the former CSUMB outside hitter is contagious. Excuses? There are none. Instead, Materazzi preaches cohesiveness and embracing what’s in front of them.

“I’d rather say we have more work to do,” Materazzi said. “We’re embracing that as a privilege. It’s a tough conference. It’s going to grind you. You have to be able to respond.”

The Otters are playing in arguably the strongest Division II conference in the nation, as proved by CSU Los Angeles coming out as a third place finisher in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and winning the national title last fall.

Still, Materazzi doesn’t feel that the Otters are that far behind in chasing supremacy. The biggest thing in the off-season has come from a mental standpoint.

“We have doubted ourselves in the past,” Materazzi admitted. “We’ve worked on competitive maturity. It’s OK to be confident and have high expectations and work through failures.”

Before the season even started, Materazzi asked each player to come up with three words to use as a purpose when they are on the court, whether it’s practice or matches.

“Mine are gratitude, confidence and perspective,” senior Jackie Wahl said. “You have to be able to motivate yourself and your teammates. The mental part of the game can be more challenging than the physical aspect if you’re not fully focused.”

Seven new faces this season have created a competitive atmosphere in practice. That in turn has also brought more juice to the court as positions are being challenged.

“I think the way we’ve reacted to this point has been great,” Materazzi said. “We had our best week of practice. I’m pumped. It’s exciting to see them proud of themselves.”

The Otters, who will host a five-team tournament on Friday, are still in the process of finding rotations that work in terms of chemistry on the court.

“You know what we have this year that’s refreshing is leaders that treat everyone as an equal,” said Wahl, who is coming off a career-high 228 kills last season.

Materazzi, who took Fairmont State to the NCAA Division II tournament in 2016 en route to winning 130 matches over seven seasons before coming to CSUMB, believes there are similarities between both programs.

Returning to CSUMB 14 years after graduating, Materazzi feels the right personnel doesn’t always constitute bringing in a prize player.

“We haven’t won a conference title because we weren’t set up for success,” Materazzi stressed. “I won’t default to that. We are a place that will be loyal to you on the court and in the classroom.”

As Materazzi begins her fourth season at CSUMB, these are now all players she recruited. Her system is in place. The teaching part is more fine tuning and enhancing skills.

“I look for people that are gritty, relentless,” Materazzi said. “We have healthy competition fitting into our roles. There’s development. Put yourself out there. Competition is tight.”

Among those Materazzi is banking on to ignite the attack at the net is Wahl, who emerged last fall as one of the top outside hitters in the conference.

The 5-foot-9 senior has arguably the best vertical jump on the team, compiling double digits in kills in 12 matches last fall.

“She has big goals for herself,” Materazzi said. “She’s worked incredibly hard to set herself up for a big season.”

Wahl improved her defense last season to remain on the court, collecting 183 digs, more than double the total from her first two years combined. She also produced 32 service aces.

“For me personally, I treat every single practice like it’s my last,” Wahl said. “Volleyball has been a huge part of my life for 13 years. Being at the end makes it emotional.”

Wahl will not be the only target a trio of Otters setters will have to feed the ball to at the net as 6-foot-4 Mikayla Nolte is back as a disruptive force in the middle.

Nolte put down a career-high 98 kills last season for CSUMB. Yet, it was her defense that forced the opposition to adjust their games, as she averaged 0.83 blocks per set.

Having arrived with Materazzi at CSUMB, the senior is No. 4 all-time in career blocks per set and in the top 15 in school history in total blocks (155).

Adding to the Otters’ strength at the net will be the return of a healthy Kennedy Adams on the outside. Limited to two matches last fall due to injuries, the 5-11 hitter showed glimpses of her potential in 2022 as a freshman with 96 kills.

“She’s had a great off-season and has looked good in practices,” Materazzi said. “So have Hannah (Castillon) and sophomore Malia Thorne.”

Listed as an outside hitter/setter, the 5-foot-10 Castillon has excelled in practice as a setter. That in turn has Materazzi toying with running a two-set attack this fall.

“We have a lot of new setters and new middles that are creating a healthy environment in terms of competition,” Materazzi said. “We feel we have sought and built each position.”

Which is critical because the Otters will have just two tournaments to sharpen themselves before the start of conference play.

“There is a sense of urgency,” said Materazzi, who is No. 7 all-time in kills and No. 10 in aces at CSUMB. “There is a lot you want to get done. I feel we have responded to that.”

While a conference title has eluded CSUMB since becoming a Division II member, goals start from within, establishing a foundation and confidence to believe it’s a reality.

“Our goal sheet is about expectations and capabilities,” Materazzi said. “We want to work on resilience based on their expectations. We want them feeling confident.”

That next step, whether it’s improvement in the win column, chasing a tournament appearance, or matching up against a contender, starts at the net.

“In this conference, you have to have a high kill percentage,” Materazzi said. “Just look at the top four teams. We have to be able to score. If you’re killing the ball, you are digging it up.”